Rail-joint.



W. P. & S. G. THOMSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17,1911.

1,016,797. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-$113131 l.

mvznrrons m. 9. m

WITNESSES w. P. &-s. G. THOMSON.

RAIL JOINT. APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHBET Z.

WlTNESSES WILLIAM P. THOMSON AND SAMUEL G. THOMSON, OF ASSIGNORS TOTHOMSON-THOMSON COMPANY, OF

A PARTNERSHIP.

PHILADELPHIA, I'ENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

RAIL-JOINT.

rotates.

To all whom it" may concern:

Be it known that. we, WILLIAM P. THOM- soN and SAMUEL G. TnoMsoN,residents of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of whiclr the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forniing part of thisspecification, in which- Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 are sectionalside views, showing different forms of our invention; Figs. 1 2 3, 4 57*, and 8 are perspective views of the plates or washers shown,respectively, of Figs. 1, 2, 3, at, 5, 'r', and 8. Fig. 6 is a top planview or Fi 5.

iiur invention has relation to rail joints, and is designed to providemeans of novel character for preventing the ordinary forms of nuts usedon the joint bolts from turning and also for preventing the washer frombeing clamped tightly on the splice bar in any other than asubstantially vertical peel-- tion; and the invention consists in aspring washer of novel form which not only has a large and effectiveresistance, butwhich applies its force on the corners of the inner facesof the nut, where there is a maximum leverage to prevent the nut fromrotating and which is also adapted to engage opposite corners of the nutbefore it can be clamped tightly on a splice bar.

Our invention also provides a nut-locking washer which is adaptable forvarious other purposes, as well as for use in rail joints foreffectively looking a nut against rotation.

in the accompanying drawings, we have shown several differentembodiments of our invention, but it will be understood that theinvention is susceptible of various other embodiments within the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

In Fig. 1, the numeral 2 designates a portion of an ordinary track rail.3 is a splice bar of general Lbeam-form, with its head and foot portionsprovided with the outer bevel faces at and 5 for contact with thenutlocking plate or washer 6. 7 is the nut. In the form shown in Figs. 1and l, the plate or washer 6 is-of rectangular form having a concaveface toward the-nut and a convex face toward the splice bar, the axis ofcurvature being horizontahand the convex face Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed February 17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912. Serial No. 609,231.

having at its upper and lower edge portions the flat bevel surfaces 8,for contact with the bevel faces fl and 5 of the splice bar when theplate or washer is flattened by the screwing home of the nut 7,asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The form of washer shownin Figs. 2 and 2 is similar to that shown inFigs. 1 and. 1, except that the bearing surfaces 8 instead of beingfiat, are of convex form.

The form of washer shown in Figs. 3 and 3 is similar to those shown inthe preceding figures, except that the inner bearing faces 8"arestraight, instead of being beveled or curved.

F igs. t and 4: show a form of washer 9, which is similar to that shownin Figs. 1 and 1 except that the axis of curvature is vertical insteadof horizontal.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 axis of curvature is vertical as and 4, andthe inner face 10 of the Washer instead of being curved intermediate theinclined bearing faces, is flat, so as to bear against the web portionof the splice bar, as well as against the head and foot thereof. In theforms previously described, the washer does not bear against the webportion of the splice bar, but the only bearings are at the head andfoot.

Figs. 7 and 7* show a plate or washer having a horizontal axis ofcurvature with l transverse projections 11, at its and 5 the inwaroupper and lower portions formed by bending or stamping the metal. Thisbending of the metal forms inclined outer faces 12, which are engaged bythe corners of the nutonly when the nut is first brought into con. tacttherewith. As the nut is drawn up and tends to flatten out the washer,the secondary bonds or ridges 13 will engage the inner face of the nut.

Figs. 8 and 8 show a plate or washer with a horizontal axis ofcurvature, and which is similar in its general features and action tothe form shown in Figs. 2 and 2*, except that itis concave on its splicebar side, indicated at 16, as well as on its nut side.

it will be noted that the plates not only form locking washers for thenuts, but they also act as bridge plates to transmit the pull of thenuts tothe head and foot pertions of the splice bar in linesapproximately parallel to the axes of the joint bolts. In

in Figs. 4:

all the forms shown, it'is characteristic of these bridge plates orwashers that in their tightened position, they are prevented fromrotating around the bolt by one or more projections which extendoutwardly from the upright portion of the splice bar to a substantialdistance outside of the innermost portion of the washer. ThisIlOIl-I'Otfi-j tive feature assures maximum efficiency to prevent thenut from turning, by reason of gripping it at its corners, instead ofadjacent to .thd ,bolt hole. Furthermore, the gripping action of the nutis automatic and does not involve the lipping or bending up of anyportion of the bridge plate or washer to engage the wrench-seating facesof the nut, after the nut has been turned into its tightest position.The invention also obviates the use of a nut having an inner face ofspecial conformation to receive projections from the nut lock or toengage recesses or openings in the nut lock, and thereby permits the useof the ordinary forms of nuts.

We are aware that previous efforts have been made to lock a nut byengaging it by a spring washer having a concave face toward the nut, butin the previous devices of which we are aware, there is present aserious defect that, while they seek to increase resistance by securinga grip at the corners of the inner face of the nut by concaving the nutside of the washe1-,'the oppositeside of the washer is decreased infrictional efti ciency by making it convex with reference to the face onwhich it bears. Therefore, the resistance to rotation is no greater thanif the concave side were toward the nut and the. convex side were towardthe face on which the washer bears. Another serious defect present inmany previous devices is that it is necessary to engage them in some waywith one or more of thewrench-gripping faces of the nut, and they areobjectionable because they introduce the necessity for a mechanicaloperation which is secondary to that of screwing up the nut and whichis, therefore, likely to be forgotten or if not forgotten is destructiveor detrimental to the washer, 7

Our invention makes effective an increased resistance to rotation of thenut and also involves no other mechanical operation than the usual oneofscrewing the nut up tight against the washer.

We claim:

1. In a rail joint, a spring washer having a concave outer face and abearing extending along the upper edge of its inner face, said bearingcontacting with the splice bar above the bolt holes in a plane lying atan angle to the vertical.

2. In a rail joint, a spring washer having a concave face on its 11 itside nd\having a \bearing fate extending along its.opposite side for thefull width of the washer, adja- 4. In a rail joint, a spring washerhaving a concave face on its nut side and havin a. fulcrum bearingextending horizontafily along its opposite side and lying between thecenter of the bolt and one of the horizontal edges of the washer.

5. In a rail joint, a spring washer having a concave face on its nutside, said face being adapted to flatten out when the washer is clampedtightlybetween the nut and two longitudinally extending bearings lyingadj acent to its upper and lower edges.

6. In a rail joint, a spring washer having separate fulcrum bearingsextending horizontally along its inner face and fitting a splice barabove and below a horizontal plane through the center-of the bolt holes,said washer also having a concave outer face to engage the nut.

7. In a rail joint, a splice bar, a clamping bolt and nut, and .a springWasher having a concave outer face and separate horizonta ly extendingfulcrum bearings against the splice bar above and below the center ofthe bolt.

8. In a rail joint, a spring washer having a concaveface on its nutside, and having separate bearings extending longitudinally along itsoppositeside parallel to its axis of curvature to engage the splice barabove and below the bolt holes.

9. In a rail joint, a spring washer having a concave face on its nutside the axis of curvature of said face being horizontal, said washerbearing against the splice bar adjacent to the upper and lower ed es ofthe washer and standing free from tie bar between said bearings.

10. A .s ring washer which is concave on its'nut side, said washerhaving a greater sectional thickness in planes parallel to the axis ofcurvature and adjacent to its upper and lower edges than it has alon aplane through its middle parallel to sai edges.

11. A spring washer having a concave face on its nut side and a boltholetherethrough, saidwasher having a greater sectional thickness in a planeparallel to its axis of curvature lying between the edge of said holeand an adjacent ed 0 of the washer, than, it has in a parallel p aneintersecting the bolt hole, x

12. Aspring washer havingaconcave face on its nu side, s'eid washerhaving a substantially thin central portion with a ho1e therethrough,said thin portion 'beinglocated between two thicker portions extendingalong the opposite edges of the Washer parallel to its axis ofcurpvatiire.

13. In a rail joint, a spring Washer having a concave outer face andhaving on its inner face bearing ribs extending along its opposite edgesto engage the splice bar.

14. A spring Washer having a concave face on its nut side, said Washerhaving separate inner bearing faces extending along the opposite edgesof the washer and parallel to its axis of curvature.

15. A spring Washer having a concave outer face and having bearingribsextending across its inner face adjacent to its opposite edges and inthe same direction as the axis of curvature of said outer face.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM P. THOMSON. SAMUEL G. THOMSON.

Witnesses:

MoLEoD THOMSON, MORRIS L. KoLB.

